U.S. patent number 6,882,863 [Application Number 09/745,391] was granted by the patent office on 2005-04-19 for portable communication apparatus having an optical or magnetic reading device.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ). Invention is credited to Magnus Hansson.
United States Patent |
6,882,863 |
Hansson |
April 19, 2005 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
Portable communication apparatus having an optical or magnetic
reading device
Abstract
A portable communication apparatus has a microphone and a
processing device with an input operatively coupled to the
microphone. The processing device generates a digital output signal
from a first electric signal received from the microphone. A
reading device in the portable communication apparatus generates a
second electric signal from an optical or magnetic input signal.
The processing device is operatively coupled to the reading device,
so that the second electric signal from the reading device may be
received at the input of the processing device.
Inventors: |
Hansson; Magnus (Malmo,
SE) |
Assignee: |
Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
(publ) (Stockholm, SE)
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Family
ID: |
20418347 |
Appl.
No.: |
09/745,391 |
Filed: |
December 22, 2000 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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Dec 29, 1999 [SE] |
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9904825 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
455/556.1;
455/344; 455/557 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04M
1/2755 (20130101); H04M 1/724 (20210101) |
Current International
Class: |
H04M
1/2755 (20060101); H04M 1/274 (20060101); H04M
1/725 (20060101); H04M 1/72 (20060101); H04M
001/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;455/41.1,41.2,550.1,556.1,557,90.2,90.3,344,419,422.1 ;359/802,803
;324/200,260 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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0301740 |
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Feb 1989 |
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EP |
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0529721 |
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Mar 1993 |
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EP |
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0645728 |
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Mar 1995 |
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EP |
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2246491 |
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Jan 1992 |
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GB |
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WO 97/20420 |
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Jun 1997 |
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WO |
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Other References
Landstrom, R., International-Type Search Report, Search Request No.
SE 99/01771, Nov. 30, 2000, pp. 1-3..
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Primary Examiner: Vuong; Quochien B.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Jenkens & Gilchrist, P.C.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A portable communication apparatus comprising: a microphone for
generating a first analog electric signal; a reading device adapted
to generate a second analog electric signal from an optical or a
magnetic input signal; a switching device having a first input
coupled to the microphone, a second input coupled to the reading
device, and a control input for receiving a control signal for
selecting whether the first or the second analog electric signal is
to be forwarded to a processing device; wherein the processing
device has an input coupled to an output of the switching device
for receiving either the first or the second analog electric
signal; and wherein the processing device is adapted to process the
first and second analog electric signals through a single signal
path.
2. The portable communication apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the
reading device comprises an optical emitter and an optical receiver
for reading information stored in a barcode.
3. The portable communication apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the
reading device comprises a magnetic sensor for reading information
stored in a magnetic strip on a card.
4. The portable communication apparatus as in claim 3, wherein the
magnetic sensor comprises a coil.
5. The portable communication apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the
processing device comprises: an amplifier adapted to amplify the
first and second analog electric signals; an A/D converter adapted
to convert the first and the second analog electric signal to a
first and a second digital electric signal; and a digital signal
processor.
6. The portable communication apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the
apparatus is a radio telephone.
7. The portable communication apparatus as in claim 6, wherein the
radiotelephone comprises a mobile telephone.
8. The portable communication apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the
reading device is integrated inside an apparatus housing of the
portable communication apparatus.
9. The portable communication apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the
reading device is located outside an apparatus housing of the
portable communication apparatus and is connected through an
accessory connector provided in the apparatus housing.
10. A portable communication apparatus comprising: a microphone for
generating a first electric signal; a reading device adapted to
generate a second analog electric signal from an optical or a
magnetic input signal; a switching device having a first input
coupled to the microphone, a second input coupled to the reading
device, and a processing device having an input coupled to an
output of the switching device for receiving either the first or
the second analog electric signal; and wherein the processing
device is adapted to process the first and second analog electric
signals through a single signal path.
11. A portable communication apparatus comprising: a microphone for
generating a first analog electric signal; a reading device adapted
to generate a second analog electric signal from an optical or a
magnetic input signal; a switching device having a first input
coupled to the microphone, a second input coupled to the reading
device, and a control input for receiving a control signal for
selecting whether the first or the second analog electric signal is
to be forwarded to a processing device; and wherein an output of
the switching device is coupled to an input of the processing
device for receiving either the first or the second analog electric
signal based on the control signal.
12. The portable communication apparatus as in claim 11, wherein
the processing device is adapted to process the first and second
analog electric signals through a single signal path.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to portable communication apparatuses
of the type having a microphone and a processing device with an
input operatively coupled to the microphone, where the processing
device generates a digital output signal from an analog electric
signal received from the microphone, and where the apparatus also
has an optical or magnetic reading device, such as a barcode reader
or a magnetic card reader.
HISTORY OF RELATED ART
A portable communication apparatus according to the above is known
from e.g. EP-A-0 529 721, FIG. 2 of which discloses a mobile
telephone 2 having an integrated barcode reader 16, by means of
which a bar-coded telephone number may be scanned into the mobile
telephone without having to dial the telephone number manually on
the telephone keyboard 4.
A similar portable communication apparatus is shown in EP-A-0 645
728, where again a mobile telephone is provided with an integrated
barcode reader. WO97/20420 discloses a mobile telephone having an
accessory connector and an external barcode reader connected by a
cable to this accessory connector.
EP-A-0 301 740 discloses a portable radio telephone including a
magnetic card reader.
The portable communication apparatuses known from the above all
have in common that the provision of a reading device internally in
or externally to the apparatus requires additional functionality
and hardware, as compared to a "normal" portable communication
apparatus (such as a typical mobile telephone) without any such
reading device.
The additional functionality and hardware are required for
receiving, processing and interpreting the electric analog output
signal from the reading device. For instance, in case the reading
device is a barcode reader, it will typically supply, as an output
signal, an analog electric signal reflecting the alternating
patterns of black and white lines in the barcode pattern. This
analog signal will have to be amplified, converted to digital form
and further processed in order to extract the digital information
stored therein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to allow a portable
communication apparatus to be provided with a reading device as set
out above, essentially without having to add any new functionality
or hardware to the portable communication apparatus.
The object has been achieved by the following inventive
understanding. A portable communication apparatus is typically
provided with a microphone, which converts an acoustic input into
an analog electric output signal. This analog signal is amplified,
converted to digital form and filtered and processed by e.g. a
digital signal processor, before it is forwarded to a
speech/channel encoder module and a radio transmitter module, so as
to ultimately be transmitted from an antenna of the apparatus.
An optical or magnetic reading device (such as a barcode reader or
a magnetic card reader), on the other hand, also outputs an analog
electric signal. According to the invention the output signal from
the reading device is supplied to the same signal path as the
analog electric output signal from the microphone, i.e. to the
components for amplifying the signal, converting it to digital form
and filtering/processing it in a digital signal processor.
According to a preferred embodiment, a switching device is provided
between the microphone/reading device and the signal path for
amplifying/converting/processing the output signals thereof, so
that the switching device in a first position may forward the
analog electric output signal from the microphone to the aforesaid
signal path, while in a second position instead the analog electric
output signal from the reading device will be forwarded to the same
signal path.
The present invention has a distinct advantage in that it requires
no extra components for amplifying, A/D converting and
filtering/processing the analog electric output signal from the
reading device in order to receive, extract and interpret the
digital information in question.
Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention
will appear from the following detailed disclosure of preferred and
alternative embodiments, from the drawings as well as from the
appended claims.
It should be emphasized that the term "comprises/comprising" when
used in this specification is taken to specify the presence of
stated features, integers, steps or components but does not
preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features,
integers, steps, components or groups thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The preferred and alternative embodiments of the present invention
will now be described in more detail, reference being made to the
accompanying drawings, in which
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a portable communication apparatus
according to the invention in the form of a mobile telephone with
an integrated barcode reader,
FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of the mobile telephone in FIG.
1, and
FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of an alternative embodiment of
the invention, where the integrated barcode reader of FIGS. 1 and 2
has been substituted for a magnetic card reader.
DETAILED DISCLOSURE OF EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 illustrates a portable communication apparatus according to
a preferred embodiment of the invention. For the rest of this
specification, the portable communication apparatus will be
exemplified by, and referred to as, a mobile telephone 1. However,
the portable communication apparatus may equally well be e.g. a
personal computer, a laptop computer, a hand-held computer, a PDA
(Personal Digital Assistant), a smartphone, or any other apparatus
that falls within the definitions in the appended claims.
The mobile telephone 1 comprises an apparatus housing 10, an
antenna 11 mounted on top of the housing, as well as a loudspeaker
12, a visual display 13 and a microphone 14, all of which are
provided at a front portion of the apparatus housing 10.
Moreover, the mobile telephone 1 comprises a telephone keypad 15
having a plurality of numeric keys, each of which represents a
respective digit 0 through 9. A * key and a # key are also provided
on the keypad 15.
The keypad 15 also comprises a YES key, which is used for answering
an incoming call and for performing an affirmative action in the
man-machine interface of the mobile telephone 1. Similarly, a NO
key has a function for terminating an ongoing call and for
providing a negative response in the man-machine interface. The NO
key may also be used as a power-on key for turning on the mobile
telephone 1.
Additionally, the telephone keypad 15 comprises a clear key, which
for instance may be used for resetting the man-machine interface to
an initial state (escaping from any option within a menu system
provided by the man-machine interface), and arrow keys, which are
used for scrolling through different options in the man-machine
interface.
The mobile telephone 1 also comprises, at a lower end of the
apparatus housing 10, an accessory connector 16 (sometimes referred
to as system connector), which may be used for connecting the
mobile telephone 1 to a commercially available accessory device,
such as a hands-free set or a battery charger.
Finally, next to the accessory connector 16 an integrated barcode
reader 17 is provided (only the lens thereof is indicated in FIG.
1). Up to this point, the mobile telephone 1 as well as the
components described above are all essentially known per se.
The internal structure of the mobile telephone 1 and its integrated
barcode reader 17 is shown in more detail in FIG. 2. Starting to
the left of the drawing, the microphone 14 is connected to a first
input terminal 26 of a switch 22. A second terminal 28 of the
switch 22 is connected to an output 50 of the barcode reader 17. A
control input 24 of the switch 22 is connected to a central
controller (CPU) 20. The switch 22 comprises a movable contact
element 30, by means of which either the first input terminal 26
(and consequently the output of the microphone 14) or the second
input terminal 28 (and consequently the output of the barcode
reader 17) may be coupled to an input 37 of a signal path for
amplifying, A/D converting and processing the analog electric
output signal from the microphone 14 and the barcode reader 17,
respectively.
This signal path comprises an amplifier 32, an A/D converter 34 and
a digital signal processor (DSP) 36, which are jointly referred to
as a processing device 31 in the following.
Referring first to a "normal" situation, where the output from the
microphone 14 is forwarded through the switch 22 to the processing
device 31, the operation is as follows. An acoustic signal,
emanating from the voice of the telephone user, is intercepted by
the microphone, which in a well-known manner will convert the
acoustic signal to an analog electric output signal, that is
supplied to aforesaid first terminal 26 of the switch 22.
Initially, the movable contact element 30 has been set to its first
position according to the above by submitting a control signal to
the control input 24 from the CPU 20.
The analog electric microphone signal is received at the input 37
of the processing device 31 and is amplified by the amplifier 32.
Then, the analog microphone signal is converted to digital form by
the A/D converter 34, and the resulting digital signal is supplied
to the DSP 36, which is provided with software for performing
various amplifying, filtering and other signal-improving functions,
as is generally known per se. The thus obtained digital voice
signal is supplied to a device 38 for performing speech encoding
and channel encoding according to the particular mobile
communications protocols, under which the mobile telephone 1
operates. The encoded signal is forwarded to a radio transmitter
40, where the signal in a well-known manner will be modulated onto
a high-frequency carrier wave, which is transmitted as
electromagnetic radiation by means of the antenna 11.
If, on the other hand, the information stored on a barcode label 42
is to be read through the barcode reader 17, the controller 20 will
switch the contact element 30 to its second position, wherein
instead the second input terminal 28 of the switch 22 is
operatively connected to the output 50 of the barcode reader
17.
As shown in FIG. 2, the barcode reader 17 comprises a photo emitter
44 in the form of a photo diode, which is adapted to transmit a
beam of light through a first lens 46 onto the surface of the
barcode label 42. Light reflected from the barcode label 42 will be
received by a photo detector 50 through a second lens 48. At the
output of the photo detector 50 an analog electric output signal
will be provided, which represents the varying pattern of black and
white lines on the barcode label 42. Since the reading of the
barcode label 42 is carried out optically, the analog electric
barcode reader signal may contain a substantial amount of noise due
to surrounding light, imperfections in the surface of the barcode
label 42, etc.
As is well-known per se, barcode labels are used for representing
digital information, for instance numerical digits or ASCII
characters, by means of vertical black and white lines having
varying widths. The barcode reader 17 may be used for reading
various commercially available barcodes, such as EAN 8, EAN 13, UPC
A, UPC E, UCC/EAN-128, Code 128, Code 39, Codabar, Code 11, MSI
Code, Code 93, or ITF 14.
The barcode reader 17 may advantageously be implemented by a
commercially available photo reflector, such as any of the
following photo reflectors produced by Hewlett Packard: HBCC-1570,
HBCC-1580, HBCC-1590, HBCS-1100, HEDS-1200 or HEDS-1300.
Alternatively, any of the following photo reflectors from Sharp may
be used: GP2S22, GP2L22, SG-2BC or GP2S05. Alternatively, the
following photo reflectors are available from Optek: OPB707C,
OPB710F or OPB730F, or the RPR-359F or RPR-220 from Rohm.
The analog electric barcode signal will be supplied through the
second switch terminal 28 to the input 37 of the processing device
31, wherein the analog and potentially weak signal will be
amplified by the amplifier 32, converted to digital form by the A/D
converter 34 and received at the DSP 36. The DSP 36 is programmed
to perform various signal-processing operations required for
extracting the digital information stored on the barcode label 42.
In many aspects the analog barcode reader signal has
characteristics similar to those of the analog microphone signal;
therefore, it will be a reasonably simple task for a skilled man to
program the DSP 36 to be capable of handling both the analog
microphone signal and the analog barcode reader signal.
More specifically, the DSP 36 of the preferred embodiment may be
programmed to perform the following operations on the digital
barcode reader signal received from the A/D converter 34: automatic
gain control (so that weaker input signals will be more amplified
than stronger input signals), bandpass filtering (the desired
signal lies within 50-400 Hz), oversampling (in order to increase
the quality of the digital barcode reader signal) correlation, and
timebase compensation. Timebase compensation may be required to
compensate for a likely real-life situation, where the telephone 1
will be swept over the barcode label 42 at different speeds from
time to time. Moreover, the sweep speed may in some cases be
non-constant, so that the timebase will have to be stretched or
compressed.
Once the digital information of the barcode label 42 has been
finally extracted by the DSP 36, the results will be supplied to
the CPU 20 to be used for its intended purpose. Typical barcode
applications of the mobile telephone 1 according to the invention
include reading a bar-coded telephone number to be called by the
mobile telephone 1; reading a string of characters and/or digits to
be transformed by the CPU 20 into a digital message, which may be
transmitted to a remote receiver in for instance an SMS message
(Short Message Services in GSM): reading an authenticating code
from the barcode label 42 to be submitted to e.g. a WAP application
on a remote Internet server, etc.
Referring now to FIG. 3, an alternative embodiment of the present
invention is shown. In FIG. 3, the integrated reader 17 has been
replaced by a magnetic card reader 52, comprising a magnetic sensor
(exemplified by a coil in FIG. 3), which is arranged to inductively
read the contents stored magnetically in a magnetic strip 54 on a
plastic card 53. The output of the magnetic card reader 52 is an
analog electric signal, which is similar to the analog output
signals of the aforesaid barcode reader 17 and the microphone 14,
respectively. Therefore, the rest of the components shown in FIG. 3
may operate in essentially the same way, as has already been
described above with reference to FIG. 2.
The present invention has been described above with reference to a
preferred and an alternative embodiment. However, the present
invention shall in no way be limited by the above disclosure. On
the contrary, the scope of the present invention is only limited by
the definitions in the appended independent patent claim. In
particular, even if it is currently believed that the barcode
reader 17 and the magnetic card reader 52, respectively, preferably
be integrated in the mobile telephone 1, the reader may
alternatively be realized as an external unit, which is connected
to the mobile telephone 1 by means of a cable inserted into the
accessory connector 16.
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